Young writers in Malaysia get a head start小小作家，扬帆起航

黄舒伟

对大多数作者来说，出版一本书是很困难的。但在马来西亚，因为有这样一个特殊的项目，年轻人的写作梦想变得不再遥不可及。

主题语境：文学与艺术 篇幅：308词 建议用时：6分钟

1 Getting a story or a book published is difficult formost aspiring authors. But in Malaysia， a unique programfor young people offers a helping hand. The Junior Writ?ers Programme （JWP） provides essential writing skillsand a chance to be published.

2“The JWP is not just a writing program，”saidBrigitte Rozario， a Malaysian author， editor， and journalist who founded the program.“Itsan opportunity to help young writers chase their dreams and understand the effort requiredto publish a book.”

3 The program focuses on writing， revising， and editing， with publication the reward.Students also gain valuable life skills. Only the most dedicated writers are accepted. Thosewho want to be considered for the program must pass a rigorous application process. Somefail the first time and reapply.

4 Rozario founded the program in 2018.“A couple I knew said that their daughter wasvery interested in writing，”she explained，“but they didnt know how to develop her tal?ent.”Rozario was inspired to help. After several months of planning and assistance fromMPH Group， a local publishing company， the JWP was born.

5 Each year， about 20 students aging from 11 to 15 get the chance to improve theirskills. They are given a theme to explore in the anthology （选集） of stories they create forpublication. Theres even a launch party！ In 2022， the fifth year of the program， the topicwas Secrets and Lies. Stories in the anthology cover everything from friendships and fami?lies to staying true to oneself. Profits from the book go to local charitable organizations.When you buy an anthology， you know that youre supporting a worthy cause.

6 The JWP is a testament to the fact that a teacher， a friend， or a mentor can makeyour talents shine. That is who Rozario is and what she believes.

Reading Check

Detail

1. What can be learned about JWP？

A. It focuses on publication laws.

B. It is a special program for old people.

C. It was founded by several journalists in Malaysia.

D. It provides writing skills and life skills for its members.

Vocabulary

2. Which word can replace the underlined word“rigorous”in paragraph 3？

A. Simple.

B. Strict.

C. Formal.

D. Complicated.

Gist

3. Whats paragraph 4 mainly about？

A. Why JWP was set up.

B. Rozarios writing experiences.

C. Rozarios passion for writing.

D. How Rozarios daughter fell in love with writing.

Detail

4. Whats the topic of JWP in 2022？

A. Plans and Assistance.

B. Devotion and Charity.

C. Secrets and Lies.

D. Friendships and Families.

Language Study

Difficult sentence

The JWP is a testament to the fact that a teacher， a friend， or a mentor can make yourtalents shine. 一位老师、朋友或者导师，可以让你的天分闪闪发光，初级作家计划（JWP）是对这一事实的证明。

【点石成金】该句中，that引导的是一个同位语从句，对fact做进一步的解释说明。同位语从句的先行词通常为answer、hope、fact、truth、belief、news、idea、promise、infor?mation、conclusion、order、suggestion、problem、question、thought、report、decision、doubt、opinion、theory等抽象名词。引导同位语从句的词通常是连词that、whether、連接代词、连接副词等。

e.g. He referred to Copernicus statement that the earth moves round the sun. 他提到了哥白尼的关于地球绕太阳转的观点。